Wrench.



1. 8. SKIFE.

WRENCH. 'APPLIC-ATIONFILED FEB-23.1918.

1 9 1 9mm Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

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. line of the handle.

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WRENCH.

Application filed. February 23, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, JOSEPH B. SKIFF, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Fort Dodge, Webster county, Towa, have invented a new and useful Wrench, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for wrenches in which two jaws are mounted slidably rela tive to each other and moved to gripping or releasing position by opposite movements of a handle through an are.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for a wrench having a handle and two jaws pivoted in spaced relations thereon and automatically movable to gripping or releasing positions by movement of the handle in diverse directions. a j

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved construction for a wrench in which a plurality of jaws may be provided and used interchangeably for different purposes.

y invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in whieh Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench and Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the indicated line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing a different type of jaw and differently located and operating yielding pressure devices.

In the construction of the wrench as shown thenumeral 10 designates a handle member, which may be of tubular form to provide combined strength and lightness. One end of the handle 10 is forked and flattened transversely and expanded into V-shape, said fork being designated by the numeral 11. The arms of the fork 11 also are slottedat right angles to the V and mounted transversely of one arm and at one side of the axial line of the handle 10 is a pivot bolt 12, and mounted transversely through the other arm and at the opposite side of the axial line of the handle is a second pivot bolt 13, said pivot bolts preferably being substantially on a line at right angles to said axial Coaeting jaw members 14, 15 are provided and are mounted sideby side with their bases contained in the slots of the arms of the fork 11 and pivotally se- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919. Serial No. 218,733.

cured by the bolts 12, 13 respectively, the outer jaw member 14, preferably being provided with a transverse slot 16 to receive loosely the bolt 12, the inner arm of the fork being formed with a slot 16 he outer jaw 14 may be of the hooked type shown in Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, or of the common right-angled type as shown in Fig. 3, the lateral extension 17 on the outer end thereof being adapted to coact with the outer end portion of the inner jaw member 15. The coaeting faces of the jaw member 15 and of the extension 17 of the member 14 may be either straight or beveled as shown, and may be either smooth or serrated in any desired and suitable fashion.

Flanges or guides 18 are formed on or fixed to and project beyond one margin of the inner jaw member 15 and slidingly embrace the jaw member 14. A leaf spring 19 is fixed at one end to the handle 10 in suitable location and is formed with a recurved hook 19 on its opposite end portion slidingly engaging the outer marginal face of the jaw member 14, forwardly ofthe pivot bolt 12, and yieldingly holds said jaw member toward and in engagement with the jaw member 15 and inclined forwardly from the axial line of the handle 10 as shown.

In practical use, movement of the handle 10 manually through an are forwardly (in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1) causes a sliding movement of the jaw member 15 on the jaw member 14 toward the extension 17, to the end of gripping an object between the coaeting faces thereof and turning said object in the direction in which the handle is moved. In such movement, the jaw member 14 being considered as fixed, and usually in initial contact with the object to be gripped, the handle 10 oscils lates on the pivot bolt 12 and, because of the spaced transverse arrangement of the pivots: 12, 13, effects a pressure on, and re sulting in an endwise sliding movement of,

for the bolt 13. i

the aw member 15 toward the object to be gripped. When engagement of such object is effected, further turningmovement of the handle results in a gripping and turning of the engaged object, and the more force is applied to the handle, the greater is the force of the gripping engagement. the jaw member 15 exerting a pushing force and the jaw member 14 exerting a pulling force on such object. An opposite, or rearward, movement of the handle 10 has the efiect of retracting and withdrawing the sliding jaw member 15 and releasing the engagement on the object, and successive turning effects may be applied to such object by successive movements of the handle in opposite directions, being moved backward and forward each time to effect a new grip on and in a different position relative to the object.

It will be observed that objects of different sizes may be gripped with a different set of jaws, limited only by the greatest opening capacity thereof, as a lesser movement of the handle results in a lesser sliding movement of the jaw 15 preliminary to engagement, and vice-versa.

The capacity of the wrench may be varied by substituting, for use with a given member 15, difierent members lt of varying lengths. Also different types of jaw members may be substituted for various kinds of work.

Longitudinal ribs 20 may be formed on the sides of the inner margin of the outer jaw member 14:, and the guides 18 may be shaped to correspond and fit snugly thereto, thereby forming a sliding connection between the two jaw members (Fig. 2).

To turn an object in the opposite direction, or reversely, the wrench may be reversed and operated in the manner above described.

It should be observed that this wrench is specially adapted to one-hand operation, the projection 17, or 17 being moved into contact with an object to be gripped, pressure on the handle forces said projection and the jaw member 14L or 14 rearwardly to open the wrench against the pressure of springs 19 or 19 until the object is admitted between the jaws; then pressure in the opposite direction effects the desired grip. To facilitate such movement upon an object the corners of the jaws preferably are rounded, as at 15*, 17 in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 3, the spring 19 is omitted, the jaW member 1 L is extended rearwardly a greater distance from the pivot bolt 12 and a leaf spring 19 is mounted in the slot of the outer arm of the fork 11, is fixed at one end to the handle 10 and is formed with a recurved hook 19 on its opposite end portion slidingly engaging the inner marginal face of said extension and exerts outward pressure on said extension rearwardly of the pivot bolt 12.

The effect of same.

I claim as my invention 1. In a wrench of the class described having a handle and slidably-connected jaw members pivoted at one end each to one end of said handle, said jaw-members being formed with co-acting gripping faces, said jaw members being adapted to be moved through an are relative to the handle, the

the springs 19, 19 is the degree of such movement determining the spacing apart of said gripping faces, the combination of the jaw members, one being formed with laterally-extending ribs and the other being formed with relatively long hook flanges slidingly engaging said ribs, whereby said aw members are adapted for sliding movement relative to each other coincident with said arcuate movement.

2. In a Wrench of the class described having a handle and slidably connected jaw members pivoted at one end each to one end of said handle, said jaw members being formed with co-acting gripping faces, said jaw members being adapted to be moved through an are relative to the handle. the degree of such movement determining the spacing apart of said gripping faces, the outermost jaw member being distinguished in that it projects rearwardly from its pivot, the combination with said outermost jaw member and handle of a leaf spring fixed to said handle and extending within said handle into sliding engagement with the rearwardly projecting end portion of said outermost jaw member, whereby said jaw members are yieldingly held toward the innermost limit of said arcuate movement.

3. In a wrench of the class described. having a handle and slidingly-connected jaw members pivoted at one end each to one end of said handle, said jaw members being formed with co-actinggripping faces, said jaw members being adapted to be moved through an are relative to the handle, the degree of said arcuate movement determining the spacing apart of said gripping faces, the relative construction of the handle and jaw members at. the points of pivoting distinguished in this :that one jaw member is formed with a transverse slot receiving one pivot of the handle for travel therein and the handle is formed with a transverse slot laterally spaced from the first pivot and receiving the second pivot for travel therein.

4. In a wrench of the class described having a handle and slidingly-connected jaw members pivoted at one end each to one end of said handle, said jaw members being formed with co-acting gripping faces, said jaw members being adapted to be moved through an are relative to the handle, the degree of such arcuate movement determining the spacing apart of said gripping faces for the reception of a work object between them, the outermost jaw member being formed with a convex face communicating with and extending from the outermost end of its gripping face and, together with the outermost face of the innermost jaw member, adapted for contact with a work object initiatory to the introduction of said work object between said gripping faces.

5. In a wrench of the class described having a handle and slidingly-connected jaw members pivoted at one end each to one end of said handle, said jaw members being formed with co-acting gripping faces, said jaw members being adapted to be moved through an arc relative to the handle, the degree of such arcuate movement determining the spacing apart of said gripping faces, the handle and one jaw member being provided with inter-acting yielding-pressure devices tending to hold said jaw members at the limit of arcuate movement to closed relation of said gripping faces, said jaw members being provided with opposed convex faces communicating with and extending from the outermost ends of said gripping faces and adapted for contact with a work object initiatory to the introduction of said work object between said gripping faces.

Signed at Fort Dodge, in the county of Webster and State of Iowa, this 14th day of February, 1918.

JOSEPH B. SKIFF.

maples: at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.. 

